Hardknot Pass...

[noiseboy72]

Had an amazing run up this morning, bright sunshine, dry, fairly empty road and lots of ambition. Car ran perfectly, blasting up the pass and back down in First gear with just a couple of touches on the brakes on the hair pins.

Coming back home this afternoon and 200 yards from the end, I gave an oncoming car some room and just clipped a rock with the back tyre. Instant deflation from a cut tyre wall and lump out of the alloy, but fortunately not terminal for the wheel I hope.

We put some tyre gunk in (no run flats on mine) but the damage was too severe. The best course of action was 15 mph over Winrose Pass and back to civilization. Made it back to the holiday cottage and booked in for a new tyre on Friday.

Fortunately we came up in 2 cars, so it won't prevent us doing anything, and hopefully the wheel doesn't need replacing! I don't recommend driving 9 miles on a flat, but the tyre was scrap anyway. It just shows how far you can safely limp a low profile car tyre if you're careful!!

 

[Mr Tidy]

It sounds like you had a good morning!

But not such a good afternoon - although at least you got it back!

 

[buzyg]

Brave, felt wrong reversing 20 yards off the road when one of mine blew out a few years back. Good to hear you have a backup plan untill it can be sorted properly. Nothing worse than being forced into a cheap tyre on a Sunday afternoon, when nothing else is available and then ditching it a week later for the right rubber. :x

 

[Rich8]

Up and down in first gear!
Really!?
Never been to hardknot pass - is it really that wiggly that you don't get out of first??

 

[GuidoK]

Never been to hardknot pass - is it really that wiggly that you don't get out of first??

Extemely steep and very tight turns at certain points.
And very bumpy (sometimes crazy off camber bumps in corners, an LSD is really helpful here, especially if you have really stiff suspension and anti rollbars)

But stunningly beautiful. should be on everyone's bucketlist.

When I drove it, it rattled two nuts loose.
On my car that is :wink: (from the exhaust hangers)

 

[MACK]

Love that road. Done it in all weathers/times of year. Definitely a bit of challenge!

 

[mr wilks]

Yes very scenic & glad ive done it but wouldn't repeat it again in any car i owned would finish off any suspect clutch or handbrake & left my ZMR with weeping diff seals which it didn't have prior its more suited to a goat or donkey
The other passes are equally nice & far less mechanically taxing

 

[earthdweller]

Did both Wrynose and Hardknot earlier this month

Quite challenging in a Zed

 

[mr wilks]

Those pics haven't captured the top quarter mile twists / turns that leave you staring at the sky or closing your eyes while someone in a VW camper comes by for those curious Hardknott pass is not somewhere you would drive up & over , its somewhere you have to navigate & accomplish , its probably more about the view & achievement , its certainly not about the driving

 

[AlienZed]

Did both Wrynose and Hardknot earlier this month

Quite challenging in a Zed

wished i'da known you wer doing it ,wuda come with ya.
Never done those

 

[Mr Tidy]

If it's a challenge in a Z4, it was much more of a challenge when we were on a family holiday and my Dad decided he had to drive it in our 1964 Hillman Minx that had no synchromesh on 1st gear.

We made it, but I could tell Mum wasn't amused! :lol:

 

[Rich8]

Cool. It's gone on the list.
(With "take girlfriends car" next to it in brackets )

 

[Strummer63]

Drove over Hardknot and Wrynose passes earlier this year more out of curiosity than anything.
Weather and scenery were gorgeous (see pic) but I didn't actually enjoy the drive all that much, constantly having too pull over for oncoming traffic, motorbikes and cyclists.
Probably wouldn't do it again.

 

[patriot66]

Did both Wrynose and Hardknot earlier this month

Quite challenging in a Zed

wished i'da known you wer doing it ,wuda come with ya.
Never done those

Sounds like a good excuse for a run out Moz...when you're ready !
I've been up and over Hardknott and Wrynose in both directions many times over the years. Ali and I went over them one Sunday last year when England were playing in the World Cup...hardly saw a car all day !

 

[Jembo]

Did it once in a 4wd A3, the practise girlfriend said views were quite dramatic, I only remember the hairpins ;@(

 

[Mr Tidy]

Drove over Hardknot and Wrynose passes earlier this year more out of curiosity than anything.
Weather and scenery were gorgeous (see pic) but I didn't actually enjoy the drive all that much, constantly having too pull over for oncoming traffic, motorbikes and cyclists.
Probably wouldn't do it again.

No, it's not really a fun drive - maybe more of a box to tick.

But you did get a fantastic photo!

 

[Strummer63]

Cheers Mr Tidy,
Yes, thought I was just photographing the car with a bit of view as a back drop, but inadvertantly got the Roman fort in there aswell.

 

[obewan]

If it's a challenge in a Z4, it was much more of a challenge when we were on a family holiday and my Dad decided he had to drive it in our 1964 Hillman Minx that had no synchromesh on 1st gear.

We made it, but I could tell Mum wasn't amused! :lol:

Exactly the same experience here - your post brought back a few memories
We only had to see a sign post for Hardknott or Wrynose and mum was saying 'No, No,No we are not going that way!'

I think comments by mr wilks are bang on, a much more relaxing drive (and he's mentioned it in another thread) is the Honister pass

 

[noiseboy72]

I should have been clearer. I didn't drive all the way up in 1st gear, just down the really twisty bits with just the occasional touch on the brakes.

Looking at the dashcam footage, maximum speed was 22mph and average more like 17 mph.

Going up from the western side is worse, as the bends have enough camber to lift a wheel clear. You need enough momentum to overcome the loss of traction and the common sense not to follow anyone too closely!!

We caught up with someone who decided to stop on one of the easier bends below the Roman fort. Their clutch really took a beating to get going again, but we had no such issues.

The tyre issue was about 200m from the farm at the bottom. 9.4 miles back to the holiday cottage!!

If you want a nicer, less challenging (damaging!!) drive, try The Struggle out of Ambleside up to the Kirkstone Inn. Nowhere near as steep and a better road surface.

When I get home, I'll try and post some footage. Need to remove the camera shake, as the damper mount fell off on the Winrose so the camera was flopping around a bit!!

 

[oldgit]

I did Wrynose in Winter 20 years ago after a day's fellwalking. Did not meet any oncoming traffic, probably because everywhere was completely black at 7 p.m. It was an experience.